Self-sealing coke oven door



May 9, 1939 J. s. POTTER SELF-SEALING COKE OVEN DOOR 3 Sheets-Sheet l @t 2 INVENTOR 17 L/OfL 5 P07725? Filed June 12, ,1937

ATTORNEY May 9, i939. J. s. POTTER SELF-SEALING COKE OVEN DOOR Filed June l2, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 054 5. Pay-75e ATTORNEY SELF-SEALING COKE OVEN DOOR Filed June l2, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 'IVENTOR Q/Qz 5. Parr/5 BY gr/ ATTORNEY Patented May 9, 1939 SELF-SEALING COKE OVEN' DOOR v ',Joel Sanford Potter, West Nyack, N. Y., assigner toy Louis Wiiputte, New Rochelle, N. Y.

Application June 12, 1937, Serial No. 147,878

8 Claims.

The general object of the present invention is to provide an improved end-closureior a horizontally elongated coking chamber of the type employed for the production of metallurgical coke.

A somewhat-.more specifically stated object of the invention, is to provide improvements in the construction of a plug type self-sealing coke oven door, and inthe means for guiding the door into and supporting it in its normal position.

All plug typeself-sealing coke oven doors now in use, of which I: have knowledge, are alike, in that each includes a flexible sealing member part of sheet steel which overlaps a sealing surface on the doorframe-'surrounding-the doorway closed bythe door and into which the plug section of the door extends, and in that the door includes connections between a rigid outer section of the door and said flexible part, which are adjustable to-'bend and deforrn the iiexible part as required o to-bring its contour into conformity with that of the `doorframe sealing surface. In some selfsealing doors the said iiexible part is a through plate interposedbetween the plug section and outer section of the doorsand of itself forming a complete barrier to gas ow into or out of the oven through the doorway closed by the door.

In-vother self-sealing doors, the said flexible part is attached to and forms a lateral' extension from ay rigid portion of the door uniting with the Iiexible part to provide the barrier to gas iiow into and out of the oven chamber.

A specific object of the invention is to provide improved connections adjusting the said flexible sealing part of a door of the above mentioned kind. Heretofore the adjusting connections em- "J ployed have beeny threaded connections, or socalled clamping screws, parallel to the oven axis anddistributed along the marginal portion oi the door. In accordance withthe present invenpreviously used threaded connections, and thereby eiTect the necessary sealing member adjustments in a simpler and,` less expensive and more advantageous manner.

Another specific object of the invention is to simplify and cheapen the cost of construction of the rigid outer door section, which in the preferred form of the invention comprises a body portion consisting or" a rolled steel beam of channel bar cross section, and cast steel top and bottom end portions welded to the ends of said beam.

The various features of novelty which characterize my invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming 55 a part oi this specication. For a better undertion I employ wedge connections in lieuv of theY standing of the invention, however, its advan-v tages, andspecicy objects attained with its use reference should be had. to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which I. haveA illustrated and described a preferred embodiments-.fg of the invention.

Oi the drawings: i f

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a'portion of a coke oven battery structure including a self sealing; door constructed in accordance withzlthe present-ies:

invention; 1

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-.2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a partial horizontal' sectiony on` the line 3--3 of Fig. l; l5,

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1; I I Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the'linev 5-5r of Fig. 6;

Fig. 6 is a partialv section on the line B-'6; of 2o Fig. 4;

Fig. '7 is a View taken similarly to Figp, illustrating a modified: construction;

Fig. 8 is a partial section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7; and

Fig. 9 is a partial section on the'lineB-S of Fig. '7. s

The coke oven end closure shownv in the drawings, includes a removable plug door comprising a rigid outer metallic section A, a flexible metallic sealing section B', and' aninner plug section C. The latter, which consists largely of ceramic,` material, in the closed position of the door extends into and forms a stopper or plug substantially filling one end of a coking chamber D, at the margin of which is located a rigid metallic door frame member E. Ordinarily, and as shownthe latter extends into a recess D', formed in the coke oven brickwork D2, and surrounds and forms a metallic lining for, the mouth or doorway portion 40 of the coking chamber. The door frame member E is suitably anchored in place in the coke oven masonry. The anchoring means, not shown in the drawings, may comprise detachable connections between the door frame member E andk the buckstays d at the ends of the heating walls, as-disclosed inthe Wilputte Patent No. 2,025,967, granted December 31, 1935. The door frame member is formed with a sealing surface E transverse to the oven axis, and extending about the doorway. At the bottom of the oven, the door frame member E engages and`v provides support for a metallic door sill member E2. The door frame E is also formed. with upper and lowerdoor positioning parts, as hereinafter described. .55

The rigid outer door section A may be a metal casting, but, advantageously, and as shown, it comprises a heavy rolled chan-nel bar body portion, and cast steel top and bottom members A and A2 welded to the ends of said body portion. To minimize the do'or weight, end portions of the flanges of the channel bar body portion may be beveled off as indicated at A3.

The sealing member B, in the particular form illustrated, comprises a plate of sheet steel having a rim or flange portion B bent transversely to the body portion of the plate, so that the free edge of the rim portion may abut against the door frame sealing surface E. The body portion of the sealing member, thus forms a so-called through plate, which extends across the door opening and overlaps the sealing surface E in the closed position of the door. The body portion of the sealing member is interposed between the plug section C and the outer door section A, and projects laterally beyond the margin or side edge of each of the door sections C and A. Such lateral extension of the fiexible sealing member of the door is essential, in general, in any form of a self-sealing coke oven door. For the general purposes of the present invention, however, the use of a sealing member which is of the through plate type, or which as a transverse rim portion integrally connected to the body portion of the sealing member, is not essential.

In the particular door construction illustrated, the plug section of the door comprises a bottom member in the form of a metal casting including a horizontal shelf-like body portion adapted to overlap the door sill E2, and a vertical flange portion C2, depending from the outer edge of the shelf portion. The lower edge of the ange C2 extends into engagement with the upper side of the horizontal bottom portion of the sealing rim B, and the outer side o-f flange C2 is clamped against the adjacent surface of the through plate or body portion of the sealing member, by clamping screws F. As shown the plug section bottom casting C' includes a portion C3, above the shelf portion, extending about a tubular passage in register with an opening B2 in the sealing member B. The opening B2 is in register with a tubular section B3 welded to the outer side of the sealing member B, and normally closed by screw plug B4. The opening B2 and associated parts are provided for the insertion into the coking chamber, of a pipe supplying fluid fuel used in initially heating the oven up to operating temperature. In regular operation, the plug B4 seals the opening B2, and the passage surrounded by the casting portion C3 is filled with refractory brick or plug parts.

The plug section of the door includes a vertical metallic post C4' advantageously welded or bolted to the bottom casting C. The post C4 is surrounded except at its outer edge by ceramic material, which is interlocked with the post and which may be a monolithic mass, or a column of fire bricks or blocks. At its upper end, the post C4 is connected to the sealing member B, by means of a plate G, formed with an aperture through which the reduced upper portion of the post C4 extends, and detachably connected to the plate B, by means of bolt parts G welded to the plate G, and extending through the member B as shown in Fig. 2.

The upper end of the post C4 is covered by a detachable refractory block forming the top section of the plug section of the door. The latter extends nearly to top of the oven chamber in a coke side door, but in the pusher side door provided with a levelling bar door, which is shown in the drawings, the top of the cap member C5, must not extend above the level of the lower edge of the levelling bar door opening.

In the door construction illustrated, the entire weight of the plug and sealing sections of the door, and of the levelling bar door part carried by the sealing section, is supported by a narrow inwardly extending projection A4 from the bottom part A2 of the rigid outer section of the door. In the closed position of the door the projection A4 extends between the side walls of a recess or guide way E3 formed in the bottom portion of the door frame member E, and open at its outer side. I'he weight of the plug section of the door is transmitted to the projection A4 through the portion of the sealing member flange B interposed between the upper side of the projection A4 and the lower edge ofthe flange C2 of the plug section bottom casting.

The top member A of the outer frame section of the door is formed with a hook portion or projection A5, extending inwardly over the top portion of the sealing member B. In the normal closed condition of the door, the projection A5 extends into a recess E4, formed in the top or lintel portion of the door frame member E, and having a smooth horizontal bottom wall surface E5 on which the corresponding horizontal underside of the hook A5 bears as shown in Fig. 2. The entire weight of the door is thus transmitted to the horizontal wall surface E5 of the door frame member through the hook part A5 of the outer door section. Advantageously, the side walls E6 of the recesses E3 and E4, have outer portions E6 outwardly flared to guide the door into place in the door closing operation, and have inner portions between which the projections A4 and A5 are received without unnecessary clearance or freedom for lateral displacement. rIhe door supporting provisions described in the preceding paragraphs, are not claimed herein, but are claimed in my divisional application Serial No. 253,765, filed January 31, 1939.

Each of the adjustable connections between the sealing member B and the outer door section A, in the form of construction shown in Figs. 1 to 6, comprises a member H connected at its inner end to the sealing member B, and having a horizontal bar-like body portion formed with a longitudinal slot H. The slot receives inner and outer wedges I and J, which have their remote edges in engagement with the end walls of the slot H, while their adjacent edges bear against the inner and outer edges respectively of projection K and K' from the adjacent portion of the rigid outer door section A. As shown the parts K and K' are steel bar sections welded to the adjacent portion of the door section A and are spaced apart to provide a space receiving the body portion of the member H, and are formed with notches K2 which receive the wedges I and J, thus holding the latter and the part H against movement laterally toward or away from the adjacent portion of the door section A.

As shown in Fig. 6, the remote sides of the wedges I and J are vertical, as are the end walls of the slot H', while the bottom walls of the notches K2 are inclined to the vertical, to correspond with the taper of the wedges. However, either edge of either wedge may be inclined to the vertical. The remote edges of both wedges are inclined, and the end walls of the slot H in the member H, are correspondingly inclined, in Figs.

7, 8 and 9. In the forms shown, each member H has a yoke or clevis headn H2 at itsinner end?, con-l nected by clevis pin H3 to a piece of plate metal' Hi. The latter is welded to the outer side of the sealing member B andis formed with'an aperture to' receive the corresponding clfevis pin H3; As shown in Figs. 5 and 8, the commoncentrai p lane ofthewedges I and J and clevis pin H3 isadvantageously coincident with, or close to-the central plane of the adjacent portion ofthe sealing member flange or rim B. As will be apparent, each member H may be given a bodily adjustment towardsthe coke oven-structure by raising the corresponding wedge I and lowering the correspondingn wedge J; and by raising the wedge J and lowering the adjacent wedge I, the corresponding member H maybe given an adjustment in the drection away fromv theovenV chamber.l In practice the wedges will ordinarily be'given their vertical adjustments by hammer blows.

In lieu of welding the parts K'and K to the door section A, each pair of such parts may be integral ears of a bracket bolted to the door section A, or, as shown in Figs. '7, 8 and 9, in lieu of the parts K and K', the wedges I and J and the member H may cooperatewith punched out integral tongue portions A10 of the outer section A of the door.

The described wedge adjusting connection is not only simpler and mechanically superior to the previously used' threaded( adjusting connections, but is somewhat cheaperto construct. The lower cost of construction, and other advantages of the wedge adjusting connection, are of especial practical importance because of the large number of adjusting connections required in a single installation. For example, a single coke oven battery may have 'l0 oven chambers or so, with two doors for each chamber, and with 20V or more adjusting connections for each door. In the practical door design illustrated in Figs. 1-6 there are nine wedge adjusting connections ateach side of each door, and two such connections engaging each of the horizontal top and bottom portions of the sealing member. Notwithstanding the comparative ease with which the member H of each adjusting connection may be adjusted in the direction of its length, in the normal condition ofthe door each of the members H is rigidly secured to the rigid outer door section A, so that it is not necessary to provide any additional'v tie or anchor between the outer door section A, and the sealing or plug sections of the door. In this connection account should be taken of the fact, hereinafter mentioned, that the removal and replacement of the door does not subject the door to gravitational stress changes tending to move the door sections A, B and C relative to one another.

Except for the clamping oi a small lower por-l tion of the sealing member against the plugsection casting part C2, and between the latter and the projection A4 from the outer door section Ay the sealing member B is restrained only by its own stiffness against relative movements of its different marginal portions respectively connected to the different wedge adjusting devices. This makes it practically possible to obtain' ample sealing member exibility with a sealing member plate thickness and inherent strength desirably greater than is obtainable with earlier self-sealing door constructions, having similar sealing member flexibility.

As those skilled in the art will readily understand, the wedge adjusting devices disclosed are especially' suitable for use under such operating conditions as customarily prevail in the productionfoflmetallurgicalcoke. Each coke oven door may weigh. in theneighborhood of three tons.

Its plug section refractory material is normally` white hot. The aggregate contact pressure between the edge of the sealing rim B of eachI door'and the door frame sealing surface Ev customarily amountslto4 thousandsy of pounds. The

sealing member adjusting connections are cus-Y wedge connections, and cannot interfere appre` ciably, with the case or accuracy of the wedge adjusting operation.

In the construction shown in the drawingsf the coke oven door is normally secured in place with the proper sealing pressure between the seal-A ing rim B and the sealing surface- E of the door frame, by upper and lower locking bars L, each having its ends in engagement with door retaining hooks Elo carriedby the door frame mem-V ber. Each locking bar L is bodily movable towards and away fromv the door, and the door sealingpressure is due to springs M, one associatedy with each locking bar and acting between the latter and the door in a direction tending to spread them apart. Each spring M acts on the corref sponding locking bar through a rocking element N; having a4 pivot shaft N supported by the rigid door section A. As shown, each locking bar L is a casting formed with a yoke portion L' through which the corresponding spring M extends. 'I'he portion L is hinge connected to the corresponding rocking member N.

The latter, as shown, is a casting and in effectY is'a bell crank lever having an uprising arm comprising a central part N2 and side parts N3, and a horizontal arm extending outwardly in front of the shaft N. The uprising portion N2 of the lever N acts against the inner side of the yoke L' and the uprising portions N3 act against the outer sides of pin like projections L2 from the yoke L. The hinge connection between each lever N and associated locking bar L, causes the locking bar to be moved bodily toward and away from thc doorby clockwise and counter-clockwise movements, respectively, of the lever N. The

pivot shaft N for the upper lever N is journalledv in a bracket NA, and the pivot shaft N for the lower lever N is journalled in a bracket NB. The brackets NA and NB are each bolted or otherwise secured to the rigid outer door section A, and dilfer from one another only in respect to features of form by which they are adapted for engagement by a particular form of door machine and which do not need to be described here- Each spring M is compressed between upper and lower washers M and M2. The lower washer M is seated on the horizontal arm portion of the corresponding lever N, and the upper washer M2 is engaged by anut threaded on a stem M3 extending axially through the spring and having transversely extending projections M4 at its lower end which engage the under sides of hooks N4,

carried by the corresponding bracket NA and NB.

The resultant corcof The brackets NA and NB have parts extending over the locking bar projections L2 in the assembled condition of the apparatus thereby preventing accidental separation of the locking bar and associated lever N.

One advantage of the locking bar arrangement shown, is that it permits the automatic unlocking of the door and the transfer of the door weight from the coke oven structure to a door handling machine, and the return of the door Weight to the oven structure and the relooking of the door, in the door opening and closing operations, by up and down movements, respectively, of a vertically movable door lifting element of the door machine. To that end the said door machine element is adapted on its up movement to engage the under sides of the hori- Zontalportions of the lever members N, and to give each of those levers a certain amount of clockwise movement, before the lifting member engages one or both of the brackets NA and NB and begins to lift the door in the door removing operation. The clockwise movement thus given the levers N should be sufficient not only to interrupt the normal tendency of the spring M to spread the locking bars and door apart, but to lift the locking bars out of engagement with the hooks E10.

The weight of the door subjects the rigid outer door section A to tension stresses only, whether the door is suspended from the lintel of the door frame E by the projection A5, only, whether the door is suspended from the lintel of the door frame E by the projection A5, or from the lifting element of the door machine engaging both or more, usually the upper only, of the door parts NA and NB. The door is thus practically free from stress changes and resultant strains, as the Weight of the door is transferred from the door frame to the door machine, and from the latter back to the door frame in the door removing and replacing operation.

While I regard the door locking means just described as the best form of means for the purpose now known to me, it forms no part of the present invention, which may be used with coke oven doors having other locking means. Various novel features of the locking means disclosed herein, are disclosed and claimed in one or another of my prior applications Serial No. 28,264, filed June 25, 1935; Serial No. 84,596, led June 11, 1936; and Serial No. 102,943, led September 28, 1936.

The particular coke oven door shown by way of example, in the drawings, is a "pusher side door, and has a rectangular levelling bar opening B5 formed in the sealing member B adjacent the top of the door. The portion of the sealing member B adjacent the margin of the opening B5 is clamped between an outer levelling bar door frame member O and an inner rectangular cast iron frame member P. The opening B5 is normally closed by a chuck door Q shown as supported by a lever arm R pivotally connected to one side of the door frame. 'Ihe door Q may Well be, and as shown, is of the type disclosed and claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 147,879, led concurrently herewith, said door being adapted for automatic actuation between a fully closed and locked position, and a wide open position by means associated with the pusher machine carried mechanism for actuating the levelling bar adapted for operation through the opening B5. It is unnecessary to make further reference herein to features associated with the chuck door Q for the automatic actuation of the latter, particularly as the invention claimed herein is adapted for use both in coke oven doors which have no levelling bar openings, and in doors having such openings, without regard to the character of the chuck doors associated therewith.

It is a matter of some significance, however, that the mechanism for removing and replacing the pusher side coke oven doors, is customarily mounted on the pusher machine employed to expel the finished coke charges from the different coking chambers of the battery with which the pusher machine is associated.

As is well known to those skilled in the art, the pusher machine customarily employed in connection with present day coke oven batteries is big and heavy, its weight being ordinarily in the neighborhood of tons. With the door handling machinery for the pusher side oven doors mounted on the pusher machine for the battery, it is necessary, notwithstanding its size and bulk to spot the pusher machine, to bring its door handling machine into suitable register with each coke oven chamber, preparatory to each door handling operation. Really .accurate registration for every such operation, is not practically obtainable, particularly because of the very small time available in some cases, for the operation, and for the manipulation of the big, heavy pusher machine. The operating conditions just referred to, enhance the merit of the door positioning provisions formed by the door projections A4 and A5 and the tapered door frame recesses receiving those projections in the closed position of the door. With those provisions a considerable variation in the position of the door machine relative to the oven chamber axis, may occur without preventing the replacement of the door.

While in accordance with the provisions of the statutes, I have illustrated and described the best form of embodiment of my invention now known to me, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made in the form of the apparatus disclosed without departing from the spirit of my invention as set forth in the appended claims and that in some cases certain features of my invention may be used to advantage without a corresponding use of other features.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A self sealing door comprising in combination a flexible sealing plate member adapted to extend transversely into overlapping relation with a sealing surface at the margin of the doorway closed by the door, a plug section at the inner side of said sealing member and adapted to extend into said doorway, a rigid outer section at the outer side of said sealing member, means connecting said plug section and member to said outer section and through which the latter is adapted to support the plug section and member in door removing and replacing operations, door locking means adapted to releasably hold said outer section against movement away from surface and adjustable connections between said outer section and flexible member through which the outer section is adapted to press the flexible member against said sealing surface, said connections being distributed along the marginal portion of the sealing member and each connection comprising two relatively movable parts respectively engaging said outer section and said sealing member and a wedge acting between said parts and adjustable to vary their relative positions.

2. A self-sealing door comprising in combination, a flexible sealing member adapted to extend into overlapping relation with a sealing surface at the margin of the doorway closed by the door, a rigid outer door section and a plurality of adjusting connections between said outer section and member, distributed along the marginal portion of the latter and each comprising Va part attached to said section, a second part engaging said member, and a wedge cooperating with said parts to give them relative movement in one direction, and a second wedge cooperating with said parts to give them relative movement in the opposite direction.

3. A self-sealing door comprising in combination, a iiexible sealing member adapted to extend into overlapping relation with a sealing surface at the margin of the doorway closed by the door, a rigid outer door section and a plurality of adjusting connections between said outer section and member, distributed along the marginal portion of the latter, and each comprising a part attached to said section and a part engaging said member and alongside the irst mentioned part, one of said parts being formed with an elongated slot, a wedge extending through said slot and acting between one end wall thereof and one side of the other part, and a second wedge extending through said slot and acting between the second end wall of the latter and the second side of said other slot.

4. A self-sealing door comprising in combination, a flexible sealing member adapted to extend into overlapping relation with the sealing surface at the margin of the doorway closed by the door, a rigid outer door section, and a plurality of adjusting connections between said outer section and member distributed along the marginal portion of the latter and each comprising a part attached to said section, a second part engaging said member, one of said parts comprising spaced apart portions between which the other part is received and one of said parts being formed with a longitudinal slot and a wedge extending through said slot, and acting between the end wall thereof and the adjacent side of the other.

5. A self-sealing door comprising in combination, with a flexible sealing section adapted to extend into overlapping relation with a sealing surface at the margin of the doorway closed by the door, a rigid outer door section, and a plurality of adjusting connections between said sections,

distributed along the marginal portion of the sealing section and each comprising a part rigidly attached to one of said sections, a second part pivotally attached to the other of said sections to turn about a vertical axis, one of said parts being formed with a vertical slot extending transversely to the plane of the doorway, and a wedge extending through said slot and acting between one end wall thereof and one side of the other part, the latter being notched at said side to receive said wedge, whereby the latter prevents the separation of said parts by turning movements of said second part about said axis.

6. A plug-type self-sealing door comprising in combination a flexible sealing member adapted to extend into overlapping relation with a sealing surface as the margin of the doorway closed by the door, a plug section secured to said sealing member, a rigid outer door section having an inwardly extending projection at its lower end engaged by said sealing member and supporting the weight of the latter and of said plug section,

and a plurality of adjusting connections between said outer section and member, distributed along the marginal portion of the latter, and each comprising a part engaging said section, a second part attached to said member, and a wedge cocoperating with said parts to give them relative movement in one direction, and a second wedge cooperating with said parts to give them relative movement in the opposite direction.

7. In a plug type self-sealing door, the combination with plug and sealing member door sections, of a rigid outer' door section comprising a beam-like body portion of rolled steel of Channel bar cross section, with its two anges respectively adjacent, and parallel to the opposite side edges of the door, and cast steel end portions welded to the ends of said body portion, and adapted to engage a door frame in which the plug section of the door extends.

8. In a plug type self-sealing door, the combination with plug and sealing member door sections, of a rigid outer door section comprising a beam-like body portion of rolled steel of channel bar cross section with its two anges respectively adjacent, and parallel to the opposite side edges of the door, and cast steel end portions welded to the ends of said body portion, and adjustable connections between said outer and sealing member sections some of which are at the sides of the door and include parts secured to the flanges of said beam-like body portion, others of which are alongside and include parts connected to said steel castings at the top and bottom of the door.

' JOEL SANFORD POTTER. 

